Mat Herben

Mathieu "Mat" Herben (born July 15, 1952) is a retired Dutch politician of the dissolved Pim Fortuyn List party.

Herben is a Dutch journalist and politician and a member of the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF). In May 2002, the party of the slain populist Pim Fortuyn elected him as its new leader, after the party turned out in force in the parliamentary elections.^[1] As of 23 May 2002 he has been a member of LPF's parliamentary party in the House of Representatives of the Staten-Generaal. In 2004 Herben served as the fraction leader as well as the chairman of the party. In the elections held on January 22, 2003 he was the so-called lijsttrekker.

Mat Herben was born in The Hague. From 1977 to 1987 he worked as a journalist and at the Dutch Ministry of Defence. From 1987 to 1990 he was the editor of the Catholic family magazine Manna, and in the 1990s he was also the editor of Sta-Vast, the magazine published by the right-wing organization Oud-Strijders Legioen.^[2] In 1993 he founded the local political party Leefbaar Linschoten. From 1990 to 1995 he wrote reviews on classical music and publications about popular medical and social topics. From 1990 tot 2002 he was public relations official, chief editor of diverse magazines and worked again at the Dutch Ministry of Defence. Between March and May 2002 he was spokesman of the Lijst Pim Fortuyn and from May 2002 until October 2004 chairman of this party. In November 2006, he retired as a member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands. Between 2005 and 2009 he was an author for STA-VAST, the magazine of the Dutch right wing conservative organization Oud-Strijders Legioen.

Herben now lives in Linschoten. He is interested in defence, international security and aviation. He co-chairs the permanent commission for defence matters.

Herben has been married since 1975 and has one daughter. He is a Catholic and also a Freemason.

Publications

• "De Luchtstrijdkrachten van het Warschaupact en neutraal Europa" (1982)
• "Vijftig jaar vrijmetselarij"
• "Vrij Denken – over religie, politiek en vrijmetselarij" (2005)

References

• (Dutch) Parlement.com biography